in the News - Quelimane

ZBLS – NEWS UPDATE no. 3 November 2011
PROGRESS ON THE SITE.
Over the last few months, we have been
working on many different fronts
simultaneously.
The Restaurant
After many months, the restaurant is now finally
nearing completion!
The restaurant interior is almost complete. At nighttime, the effect of all these hanging lights is quite
magical! Now, all that remains are the final touches –
the wall hangings and indoor plants
to create the perfect atmosphere!.
The stoone patio around the pool has also been
extended
Whilst this work has been going on on the exterior,
more work has also been progressing on the
intererior: in the kitchen, restaurant and bathroom
areas. t the end of last month, all the kitchen
equipment arrived on our lorry from Maputo.
Over the last few months, a major focus has been on
the patio or deck of the outdoors part of the
restaurant. It has been attractively designed using a
combination of stone and wood.
Everything has been unloaded and most of the new
equipment has been installed
The stoone patio around the pool has also been
extended.
The Reception
After installing the doors and windows that arrived
on the lorry from Maputo, the building is now
complete and all that remains to be done are the final
touches and the intereior furnishings.
This 10-metre tower will help to ensure a constant
flow of water to supply the needs of the bungalows,
the restaurant, the laundry and also the gardening.
The Road
Work on the road to improve Lodge access
continues on a daily basis. The 13km road from the
Zalala road out of town leading to the Lodge also
serves the village of Supinho with a population of
around 6000 whose main source of livelihood is
from fishing. Recognising the importance of this
road for accessing the markets in town where many
go to sell their fish, the District Fisheries
Administration, donated one of its tractors to the
Lodge for a period of two months to assist with
fixing the road, which has helped to reduce the cost
of this work.
The Houses
Building of the two 2-bedroom houses for families
and couples/honey-mooners is progressing, as is the
building of the Laundry.
The Water Tower
Community Livelihoods Survey
Last year, we interviewed a total of 60 households –
30 in Supinho and 30 in Idugo – in order to find out
more about local livelihoods. This information was
collected with a view to providing insights into ways
of enhancing people’s livelihoods. The plan is to
repeat the survey after the Lodge begins operating so
as to understand how tourism is affecting the lives of
local people. A key finding of the survey was that
the main hopes of local people from the arrival of
Tourism on their doorstep is that it will provide Jobs
and Trading Opportunities. The research was
designed by Angela Hadjipateras, Founder and coDirector of the Lodge and it was carried out by
Judite Antonio, a qualified social worker from
Quelimane. A copy of the research findings can be
downloaded from the website (under ‘responsible
tourism’http://www.zalalabeach.com/responsible2.ht
ml.)
OTHER NEWS
Visit of the Provincial Governor
New recruit: Criollo the Chef!
At the end of April, the Provincial Governor, Itai
Mecque, visited the site and was shown around by
Manuel and other team members.
In July, Criollo joined the team. He is the Lodge
Chef and has lots of ideas for exciting menus!! He
and Pedro have been working hard exploring the
best food outlets in town for fresh produce for the
Lodge.
The Lodge ‘Machamba’
The ‘machamba’ (orchard), where we are growing
fruit trees and a range of salads and vegetables, is
coming along nicely. Below, Pedro can be seen
picking lettuce and tomatoes to use in our salad for
lunch!
World Tourism Day
On 27th September, World Tourism Day was
celebrated at Zalala Beach. Entertainment was
provided by Zambezian singers and dancers.
Zambezian crafts were also on sale.
Pedro’s bike arrived from Maputo!
With the arrival of his bike, Pedro is now looking
forward to enjoying a daily cycle on the beach at
dawn followed by his friends, the dogs!
Pedro with Fatima, the Provincial Director of
Tourism
COMMUNITY NEWS
Community Employment
Over the last quarter, Zalala Beach Lodge has
continued to provide regular employment to 20
members of the local community as guards,
cleaners, warehouse attendants, guards and night
watchmen. In addition, an average 35 men and
women routinely access seasonal employment
on a daily rate working on the road, making
blocks, gardening and helping to load and
unload the tractor and the lorry.
Members are also taught how to save and in this
way build up credit. In the photo below, the
members of one group are celebtrating after a
ceremony marking the end of one of the savings
cycles. Some of the members managed to make as
much as 11,390 meticais – over $400.over one year.
There are currently a total of 8 credit and savings
groups in the two communites.
Women are better than men at saving and
managing credit and half the groups are for
women only. This is one way of trying to
support women in the community who take on
most of the responsibility for the children and
care of the elderly and orphans, as well as a
bigger share of the domestic responsibilities.
Savings and Credit Groups
One of the ways in which the Lodge is trying to
support communities is by supporting Rotating
Savings and Credit Groups. The idea is that a small
amount of credit is circulated in rotation among
group members, who can use it as they please. In
most cases, it is used as start-up capital, for instance
to buy flour and other ingredients for baking and
selling bread. In the photo below, members of one
group are engaged in one of their regulare meetings.
Business Management and Credit Training
At the end of March this year, 30 community
members (13 women and 18 men) participated in a
5-day long training held in Supinho. The participants
included members of savings and credit groups,
including people running micro-entreprises,
community leaders and others. The purpose of the
training was to impart basic business management
skills to enhance the success of micro-entreprises in
both Supinho and Idugo. The training also covered
other issues, such as HIV/AIDS and malaria
prevention and caring for the environment.
printing and photocopying of training
materials.
As Christmas approaches, this is the time to
think of others for whom a donation, however
small, can make a real difference!!!
Donations can be made directly into the Zalala
Beach Lodge account:
Standard Bank of Mozambique.
Zalala Beach Lodge and Safaris Lda,
Account no: 101 255473-100-9
SWIFT: SBICMZMXXXX
Francisca, the owner of one of the few
bar/restaurants in the village, said: “I learnt so much
– we all did!. Before this training, we did not know
about the importance of forward planning and
marketing. Now, my profits have increased and my
customers are more satisfied.”
This Christmas time, make a
difference – give to people who really
need your support!
The business management training and the
support for community Credit and Savings
Groups has been funded entirely though
personal donations and money raised
through family and friends of the Zalala
team. It is vital that we continue supporting
this work, which is strongly valued by
community members. The minimum starting
credit for each Credit and Savings Group is
20,000 meticais (approximately $750). This
amount is circulated amongst an average
group membership size of 25 people. Any
donation, however small, can be combined
to help provide more people with the chance
to raise a little extra money to meet extra
needs, such as for food and clothing,
payment of school books and fees and to
save up for a bicycle or buy fishing
equipment. Several donations can also be
combined to help pay for Follow-up
Business Management training, as well as
providing ongoing support and monitoring
of individual small businesses in the
community to enhance their chances of
success. The first training cost just over
$2,000 – including fees for the trainers, food
and accommodation for participants and the
But, please contact us first at
[email protected]
Please also encourage your friends and family to
chip in to support the people of Supinho!